Ice cream for breakfast? One Hamilton family is celebrating all the national days to add some silliness to pandemic monotony

These days, we're all a bit desperate for anything that sparks joy.

For the Ruest Lacruz family, that's been pizza. And ice cream. And ... bubble wrap?

Early on in the pandemic, Nair Lacruz realized her family, especially her young son, would benefit from a daily dose of silliness - anything to break up the monotony of never-ending lockdowns and the endless stream of bad news.

Her solution? Celebrate every national day" they could find.

These celebrations include the sometimes bizarre, often origins-unknown national days" you see popping up on social media. You know, National Periodic Table Day, National Bubble Gum Day, National Thank a Mail Carrier Day - all days The Spectator confirmed via nationaldaycalendar.com are indeed days" happening this month.

For Lacruz, her husband, Lance Ruest, and their 11-year-old son, Santiago, many of the days they celebrate are food-related. Her son is a foodie" who gets excited most about anything food-related. Case in point: National Raisin Bran Day was an exciting day, rivalled by National Ice Cream for Breakfast Day. Carrot Cake Day was also a hit.

I'm going to be mother of the year," Lacruz laughed in an interview with The Spectator.

She adds that while the daily celebrations have been fun, they offer a chance to squeeze in a bit of education too.

On Cinco de Mayo, the family took time to research the origins of the celebration. They now know Cinco de Mayo exists to commemorate the Mexican army's victory over France at the Battle of Puebla during the Franco-Mexican War in 1862.

Some days have forced them to get creative.

For instance, neither Santiago nor Lacruz are sushi fans but they still wanted to celebrate National Sushi Day. They improvised, making candy sushi" with Rice Krispies treats, fruit roll-ups and gummy fish.

And other days don't exactly make sense - at least not for Canadians. National Frozen Yogurt Day fell in February. National Strawberry Day was in the winter too.

In some ways though, the celebrations have made their lives easier. The question of what's for dinner" can be easily answered with a quick Google search looking into what's on the menu - or calendar - that day. National Fettuccine Alfredo Day? Done.

National Bubble Wrap Day was an easy one. Step one: take bubble wrap. Step two: wrap child in bubble wrap. Step three: take a picture. Day celebrated.

It's even encouraged the family to explore the city more, taking advantage of days like National Cannoli Day to embark on a city-wide taste-test.

They plan to continue celebrating for the foreseeable future, especially since the pandemic seems determined to drag on for the foreseeable future.

Life has changed so much," said Lacruz. We have to grab onto the few things we can celebrate."

Katrina Clarke is a reporter at The Spectator. katrinaclarke@thespec.com